It won't be very long before early voting (February 23) will start for the primary elections. There are several citizens who have worked to have their name on the ballot and are seeking your vote. I urge you to seek out each one and inquire of them their reasons for running, their ideas, plans, and goals, and then make a decision based on answers you receive. But most of all, I urge you to vote.
One of the greatest privileges of living in this country is the right to vote. In the last presidential election, only about half of the registered voters bothered to come out to the polls to vote. That means tens of millions never exercised their privilege to determine who makes decisions for their city, county, state, and country. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain later on about who got in office and the job their doing or not doing. Sometimes people figure, "What's the use. My vote is not going to make a difference. "
"What's one vote going to matter?" Well, they are wrong, one vote can and will make a difference. Let me share some facts with you.
In 1776 one vote gave America the English language instead of German.
In 1845 one vote brought Texas into the Union.
In 1868 one vote saved President Andrew Jackson from impeachment.
In 1876 one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the United States.
In 1923 one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi party.
In America we have the right to vote. It's a right men and women in other countries wish they had. Some have been willing to die for it. We must not treat this right and privilege as unimportant. In some countries people are willing to die for this right.
One vote can make a difference in many elections. Millions of men and women have fought and some died for the right to vote freely in the elections that shape their lives. So I encourage you to exercise your right, use it, don't abuse it. Register and vote. Your vote does count and it does make a difference. Don't take this privilege lightly, it's a serious matter. Who you vote for today, you live with tomorrow.